The one who had fired the burning arrow was a tall, agile-looking young man. He stood atop the city wall with a bow in his hands. The goddess stared at him with cold eyes.

  When the soldiers of Eridu, stunned and bewildered, came to their senses, they shouted and ran toward the stairs of the wall. However, the soldiers who led the charge were flung away as if struck by a raging bull. One man who had been sitting among the slaves had leapt out and rammed into them with his torso. He picked up the shields and axes dropped by the soldiers and scolded the man on the wall.

  “We agreed to move on the signal, Eshiel.”

  The soldiers shouted and rushed at the man, but he began knocking them away like dolls using only a shield. It was monstrous strength. As the slaves who witnessed the scene began to rise one by one, soldiers holding spears panicked and tried to stab them.

  At that moment, the ground beneath the soldiers’ feet split open, and vine-like plants began to grow at terrifying speed. In an instant, the vines wrapped around the soldiers, binding them so tightly they could not move. From within the crowd, a young woman with long brown hair stepped forward and spoke.

  “I was just about at my limit too, Elaton. This works out well. Very well.”

  As enemies with supernatural abilities appeared, the temple priests stepped forward. They created streams of water in midair and shaped them into spear-like forms. When the spears of water rushed toward the woman, the vines entangling the soldiers moved as they were and formed layered shields. The soldiers buried in the vines were skewered like meat on a spit by the water spears, coughing up blood. The woman spoke mockingly.

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  “Well then, I wasn’t too keen on killing them myself. Are you taking care of it for me?”

  As the priests ground their teeth and hesitated, lines of flaming arrows flew in from the city wall. The priests hurriedly tried to block them by creating walls of water, but the arrows exploded violently upon contact. The priests were engulfed in the blasts, burning as they screamed.

  When the priests fell, the archer called Eshiel leapt down from the wall and joined the group. With a sharp-featured face, his black hair fluttered as he moved.

  Elaton, who had been disguised as a slave, struck down nearly a hundred soldiers using only his shield and stood before the goddess. With blond hair and a somewhat gentle-looking face, he possessed a solid, muscular build.

  Ishtar watched the scene with an indifferent expression, then gestured. At once, attendants struggled forward, carrying a gigantic staff. When she grasped the staff in her hand, the rain pouring from the sky began to grow steadily heavier.

  A slender, handsome man with neatly kept brown hair approached Ella and checked her condition. He pulled out the spear that had pierced her side and shouted toward the young woman.

  “Tamar, she’s still alive. Can you do something?”

  The vines moved and wrapped around Ella. Tamar, the controller of the vines, examined the girl’s condition and let out a sigh.

  “With my healing power, it’s too much. Unless Riana comes back alive, there’s nothing I can do, Azael.”

  Ishtar slowly rose from her throne. The towering goddess, holding a blackened staff and glaring coldly, radiated overwhelming pressure.

  (Cain’s bloodline… What business do you have on this sacred land?)

  Flaming arrows and vines flew toward Ishtar at the same time. A wall of water appeared and completely blocked the attacks.

  “Well, I don’t know if that answers your question. Nephilim?”